Grain-weighing apparatus



(No Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. M. BERKLEY 8a H. F. SHANNON.

GRAIN WEIGHING APPARATUS.

Patente 1 26, 1887.

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(No Model.) 21Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. M. BERKLBY 8v H. F. SHANNOII.V

GRAIN WEIGHING APPARATUS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. BERKLEY AND HUGH F. SHANNON, OF GLARKSBURG, INDIANA.

GRAIN-WEIGHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,180, dated July 26, 1887.

Application tiled April 15,1887. Serial No. 235,201. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that we, JOSEPH M. BERKLEY and HUGH F. SHANNON, both residents of Clarksburg, in the county of Decatur and State of Indiana, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in GrainNVeighing Apparatus; and we do hereby declare that the lfollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a. part of this specification, and in `Which-- Figurel is a side view of v'our improved grain-weighing machine. Fig. 2 is a similar view seen from the other side. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, and Fig. 4 is an end View.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Our invention has relation to that class of grain-weighing machines in which the grain is 'fed into a tilting vessel supported at one end of a scale-beam having a suitable counterpoise, and which are provided with means for releasing the said vessel and allowing it to tilt when lled with grain and again to return to its position under the grain-spout; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of partsy of such a machine, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the grain spout through which the grain is fed to the Weighing mechanism, the spout being in this case shown extending from an elevator, although it may extend directly from a grain-bin or other receptacle ory from any place holding or receiving the grain. A hopper, 2, is supported below the end of this spout at a distance below the same, and this hopper has upon its upper edges an up right arched frame, 3, provided near the upper end with a cross-piece, 4, having a downwardly-projecting stop, 5. The bi'furcated arms 6 of the scale-beam 7 are fulcrumed upon the upright arms of this frame, and the scale-beam is provided with a sliding poise, 8, while the upper portion of an arched frame, 9, is pivoted between the ends of the arms of the beam. A transverse shaft, 10, is journaled in the lower ends of this frame,

and the ends of the shaft turn and slide vertically in vertical loops or slots 11 upon the upper edges of the side pieces of the hopper. Two cylindrical vessels or measures, 12, are secured to this shaft with their bottoms projecting in opposite directions, and the vessels are secured eccentrically to the shaft or to the side of the centers of their bottoms, so that when one vessel is full it will have a tendency, if released, to tilt to the side at which it overhangs the bottom of the other inverted vessel, this attachment to the shaft securing the proper tilting to the vessels. the vessels arel each provided with alaterall yprojecting stud or arm, 13, and an arm, 14, is pivoted to the side of the elevator and has its Weighted outer' end projecting toward the arm or stud of the uppermost vessel, having a beveled stop, 15, upon its under side, against which the said arm may bear, the stop preventing the vessel from tilting toward the elevator.

A curved gate, 16, slides before the opening of the grain-spout, and this gate is secured to the outer end of a lever, 17, bent at an obtuse langle and pivoted to the under side of the spout at its bend, and the inner end of this lever is provided with a laterally-projecting arm, 18, to the end of which a connectingrod, 19, is pivoted with its upper end, the lower end of the rod being pivoted to the stop-arm upon the side ofthe elevator.

One end of the shaft of the Weighing-vessels is provided with a radially-projecting arm, 20, which may engage a ratchet-wheel, 21, in a counting mechanism, the said ratchet-wheel having an index-hand upon its shaft, and this ratchet -wheel is provided with a radiating arm, 22, secured upon its shaft, which engages another ratchet-Wheel, 23, likewise provided with a hand and a radiating arm, 24 and 25, the said arm engaging still another ratchet- Wheel having a hand, 26, one of the hands counting,preferably, the units, the other hand the tens, and the third hand counting the hundreds upon their respective dials 27, 28, and 29, in the usual manner.

. The bottom of the hopper is provided with a discharge-spouttl, having frames 31,formed by metallic rods,for the purpose of supporting and keeping spread the mouth of the bags,

The sides ot'- IOO into which the grain is emptied through the hopper.

The vessels are preferably made sufficientl y large to contain a unit of the standard measure-as, for instance, a bushel or halt' a bushel; but for the purpose of allowing the vessels to contain a somewhat greater quantity than the said unit, making allowance for the dil-terence in bulk of a heavy anda light quality of the same class of grain, the vessels are provided with additional rims or flanges, 32, which admit of their being iilled with more than the predetermined measure. It will thus be seen that when the grain is allowed to flow through the spout it will fall into the vessel which is uppermost, filling it, and when the vessel is lilled the weight of the grain will overcome the weight ofthe counter-poise, which has been adj usted to the weight ofthe measure of the grain weighed, causing the upper edge of the lilled vessel to be tilted below the stop upon the arched frame,allowing the filled Vessel to tilt over on account of its overhanging the lower vessel, emptying its contents into the hopper, from which it flows into its desired receptacle. As the vessel tilts down by the weight of the grain the laterally-projecting stud or arm will allow the weighted arm to drop, causing it to tilt the lever upon the under side ofthe grain-spout, closing the gate over the mouth ol" the spout, thus cutting off the dow of grain from the vessel. \Vhen the y other vessel tilts upward by the weight of the lled vessel, the stud or arm of this vessel will raise the weighted arm again and open the gate, allowing the grain to flow into that vessel until it is filled and tilts, the operation being thus continually repeated.

The counting device will count the number of revolutions of the shaft, and will thus count the number of bushels or other unit measure measured or weighed in the machine.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States-- l. In a grain-weighing machine, the combination oi' an upright arched frame having a downwardly-projectingstop,abifureated scalebeam having a suitable counterpoise and having its arms fulcrumed upon the sides of the upright frame, an arched frame pivoted with its sides between the ends of the arms of the scale-beam and having bearings at the lower ends of the sides of the frame, a shaft journaled in the lower ends of the sides of the arched frame, and two measuring-vessels secured with their bottoms to the shaft diametrieally opposite to each other and having their one side, a spout above the vessels, a cut-oft' gate sliding over the month of the spout and secured to an obtusely-bcnt lcverfulcrumed upon the under side ofthe spout at the bend, an arm pivoted at one end and having its weighted outer end provided with a pivoted stop engaging the arm ol' one ofthe revolving vessels, bearing against the upper side ot' the same, and a eonncctingrod pivoted at its upper end to an arm projecting from the inner end of the bent lever and having its lower end pivoted to the weighted arm, as and for the purpose shown and set l'orth.

3. In a grain-weighing machine, the combination of a grain-spout, a hopper below the spout and having two vertieallyslotted bearings upon the upper edges ot' its sides, and having an upright arched frame upon the said edges, abifureated scale-beam fulcrumed with its arms between the arms of the arched frame and having a sliding poise, a stop projecting downward from the arched frame, an arched frame pending from between the ends of the scale-arms and formed with transverse bearv ings in the ends ot' its arms, a shalt `iournaled in the said bearings and sliding vertically in the sloitedvbearings, and having two measuring-vessels secured diametrieally opposite to each other upon its middle and overhanging each other to one side, and provided with .laterally-projeeting studs or arms, an obtuselybent lever fulerumed at its bend upon the un der side ofthe spout and having an upwardlyprojecting cut-off gate at its outer cud, closing the mouth of the spout, and a laterally-pro jectiug arm at the inner end, a weighted arm pivoted at one end and having a pivoted stop engaging one ol" the arms upon the vessels, bearing against its upper side, and a connecting-rod pivoted to the arm ot' the bent lever and to the weighted arm, Vas and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony' that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereunto aflixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. BERKLEY. HUGH F. SHANNON.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. GODDARD, VILLIAM I. SHANNON, 

